Block 17: A Model of Domestic Harmony

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The image shows a beige apartment building facade with four floors, each featuring a row of balconies. On each balcony, colorful clothes hang in neat lines to dry, with hues ranging from white, pink, and yellow to teal, blue, and red. The clothes create a vibrant contrast against the muted tones of the building. Each balcony has large windows framed by the building’s structural beams, giving a uniform appearance. The image captures a sense of everyday life, with the diverse palette of clothing adding an element of human presence to the concrete structure.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Bureau for Domestic Presentation (BDP)
Internal Notice No. 12/75–A

Subject: Implementation of the National Fabric Display Harmony Guidelines (Pilot Phase – Pyongyang City)

To all municipal units, residential coordinators, housing administrators, and collective block representatives:

In accordance with Central Directive 28-이/49 and as a proactive measure to promote visual harmony, civic discipline, and aesthetic dignity in the urban sphere, the Bureau for Domestic Presentation (BDP) hereby issues the following guidelines, effective immediately within the jurisdiction of Pyongyang City:

1. Laundry Display Timeframe

All private washing lines visible from the public street or adjacent buildings shall conform to Display Window 04:30–07:00 and 19:00–21:00, local time. Laundry outside these hours is deemed unsynchronized and may suggest negligence or ideological indifference.

2. Color Gradient Mandate

Laundry items must be arranged left to right in chromatic progression, beginning with white or neutral tones, proceeding through pastel ranges, and concluding with dark or saturated items (e.g., navy, brown).
Patterned garments shall be centered if symmetrical, or grouped in pairs if asymmetrical.

3. Cloth Type Categorization

Towels must not be hung adjacent to undergarments. Bed linens are to be folded once lengthwise before display. Items of intimate nature are encouraged to be dried indoors or behind a textile screen bearing the national emblem.

4. Weather-Adaptive Modulation

In the event of rain or excessive wind, residents may delay display. However, approved Wäschestellvertreterstoffe (Substitute Display Fabrics) should be used to maintain street-side harmony where feasible.

5. Inspection Protocol

Civic volunteers and assigned Harmony Stewards (조화지도원) will perform random visual assessments. Citizens may receive commendation or correction notices accordingly.
Outstanding discipline in display may result in household recognition during community review cycles.

Note: Enclosed with this notice is an example of a model residential block that has distinguished itself through consistent application of the textile display guidelines in public-facing spaces.
Block 17 serves as a reference model for patriotic order and visual discipline in daily life.

By order of
Director Ryu In-chol
Bureau for Domestic Presentation (BDP)
Pyongyang – Uphold Order, Reveal Pride

Postcards from Pyongyang

Block 17: A Model of Domestic Harmony